Assembled α-synuclein in nerve cells and glial cells is the defining pathological feature of neurodegenerative diseases called synucleinopathies. Seeds of α-synuclein can induce the assembly of monomeric protein. Here, we used sucrose gradient centrifugation and transiently transfected HEK 293T cells to identify the species of α-synuclein from the brains of homozygous, symptomatic mice transgenic for human mutant A53T α-synuclein (line M83) that seed aggregation. The most potent fractions contained Sarkosyl-insoluble assemblies enriched in filaments. We also analyzed six cases of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), one case of familial PD, and six cases of multiple system atrophy (MSA) for their ability to induce α-synuclein aggregation. The MSA samples were more potent than those of idiopathic PD in seeding aggregation. We found that following sucrose gradient centrifugation, the most seed-competent fractions from PD and MSA brains are those that contain Sarkosyl-insoluble α-synuclein. The fractions differed between PD and MSA, consistent with the presence of distinct conformers of assembled α-synuclein in these different samples. We conclude that α-synuclein filaments are the main driving force for amplification and propagation of pathology in synucleinopathies.

Cone photoreceptors in the retina enable vision over a wide range of light intensities. However, the processes enabling cone vision in bright light (i.e. photopic vision) are not adequately understood. Chromophore regeneration of cone photopigments may require the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and/or retinal Müller glia. In the RPE, isomerization of all-trans-retinyl esters to 11-cis-retinol is mediated by the retinoid isomerohydrolase Rpe65. A putative alternative retinoid isomerase, dihydroceramide desaturase-1 (DES1), is expressed in RPE and Müller cells. The retinol-isomerase activities of Rpe65 and Des1 are inhibited by emixustat and fenretinide, respectively. Here, we tested the effects of these visual cycle inhibitors on immediate, early, and late phases of cone photopic vision. In zebrafish larvae raised under cyclic light conditions, fenretinide impaired late cone photopic vision, while the emixustat-treated zebrafish unexpectedly had normal vision. In contrast, emixustat-treated larvae raised under extensive dark-adaptation displayed significantly attenuated immediate photopic vision concomitant with significantly reduced 11-cis-retinaldehyde (11cRAL). Following 30 min of light, early photopic vision was recovered, despite 11cRAL levels remaining significantly reduced. Defects in immediate cone photopic vision were rescued in emixustat- or fenretinide-treated larvae following exogenous 9-cis-retinaldehyde supplementation. Genetic knockout of Des1 (degs1) or retinaldehyde-binding protein 1b (rlbp1b) did not eliminate photopic vision in zebrafish. Our findings define molecular and temporal requirements of the nonphotopic or photopic visual cycles for mediating vision in bright light.

The plasmas of diabetic or uremic patients and of those receiving peritoneal dialysis treatment have increased levels of the glucose-derived dicarbonyl metabolites like methylglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO), and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG). The elevated dicarbonyl levels can contribute to the development of painful neuropathies. Here, we used stimulated immunoreactive Calcitonin Gene–Related Peptide (iCGRP) release as a measure of nociceptor activation, and we found that each dicarbonyl metabolite induces a concentration-, TRPA1-, and Ca2+-dependent iCGRP release. MGO, GO, and 3-DG were about equally potent in the millimolar range. We hypothesized that another dicarbonyl, 3,4-dideoxyglucosone-3-ene (3,4-DGE), which is present in peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions after heat sterilization, activates nociceptors. We also showed that at body temperatures 3,4-DGE is formed from 3-DG and that concentrations of 3,4-DGE in the micromolar range effectively induced iCGRP release from isolated murine skin. In a novel preparation of the isolated parietal peritoneum PD fluid or 3,4-DGE alone, at concentrations found in PD solutions, stimulated iCGRP release. We also tested whether inflammatory tissue conditions synergize with dicarbonyls to induce iCGRP release from isolated skin. Application of MGO together with bradykinin or prostaglandin E2 resulted in an overadditive effect on iCGRP release, whereas MGO applied at a pH of 5.2 resulted in reduced release, probably due to an MGO-mediated inhibition of transient receptor potential (TRP) V1 receptors. These results indicate that several reactive dicarbonyls activate nociceptors and potentiate inflammatory mediators. Our findings underline the roles of dicarbonyls and TRPA1 receptors in causing pain during diabetes or renal disease.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient required for the normal development of many organs, including the brain. Although its roles as a cofactor in several enzymes and in maintaining optimal physiology are well-known, the overall biological functions of Mn are rather poorly understood. Alterations in body Mn status are associated with altered neuronal physiology and cognition in humans, and either overexposure or (more rarely) insufficiency can cause neurological dysfunction. The resultant balancing act can be viewed as a hormetic U-shaped relationship for biological Mn status and optimal brain health, with changes in the brain leading to physiological effects throughout the body and vice versa. This review discusses Mn homeostasis, biomarkers, molecular mechanisms of cellular transport, and neuropathological changes associated with disruptions of Mn homeostasis, especially in its excess, and identifies gaps in our understanding of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying Mn homeostasis and neurotoxicity.

Treatment of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is limited by a lack of effective molecular therapies targeting this disease. Recent studies have identified metabolic alterations in cancer cells that can be targeted to improve responses to standard-of-care chemotherapy regimens. Using MDA-MB-468 and SUM-159PT TNBC cells, along with LC-MS/MS and HPLC metabolomics profiling, we found here that exposure of TNBC cells to the cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin alter arginine and polyamine metabolites. This alteration was because of a reduction in the levels and activity of a rate-limiting polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Using gene silencing and inhibitor treatments, we determined that the reduction in ODC was mediated by its negative regulator antizyme, targeting ODC to the proteasome for degradation. Treatment with the ODC inhibitor difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) sensitized TNBC cells to chemotherapy, but this was not observed in receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Moreover, TNBC cell lines had greater sensitivity to single-agent DFMO, and ODC levels were elevated in TNBC patient samples. The alterations in polyamine metabolism in response to chemotherapy, as well as DFMO-induced preferential sensitization of TNBC cells to chemotherapy, reported here suggest that ODC may be a targetable metabolic vulnerability in TNBC.

Objective

To investigate the immunologic impact of a single cycle of rituximab (RTX) in children and adolescents with immune-mediated disorders, we evaluated B cells and immunoglobulin levels of 20 patients with neuroimmunologic, nephrologic, dermatologic, and rheumatologic disorders treated under recommended guidelines.

Objective

To determine whether serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels are associated with recent MRI activity in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. Bio-Rad Laboratories has developed a fully automated multiplex bead-based assay for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies to B. burgdorferi. The BioPlex 2200 Lyme Total assay exhibits an improved rate of seropositivity in patients with early Lyme infection. Asymptomatic subjects from endemic and nonendemic origins demonstrated a seroreactivity rate of approximately 4% that was similar to other commercial assays evaluated in this study. Coupled to this result was the observation that the Lyme Total assay retained a high first-tier specificity of 96% while demonstrating a relatively high sensitivity of 91% among a well-characterized CDC Premarketing Lyme serum panel. The Lyme Total assay also performs well under a modified two-tier algorithm (sensitivity, 84.4 to 88.9%; specificity, 98.4 to 99.5%). Furthermore, the new assay is able to readily detect early Lyme infection in patient samples from outside North America.

The number of onsite clinical microbiology laboratories in hospitals is decreasing, likely related to the business model for laboratory consolidation and labor shortages, and this impacts a variety of clinical practices, including that of banking isolates for clinical or epidemiologic purposes. To determine the impact of these trends, infectious disease (ID) physicians were surveyed regarding their perceptions of offsite services. Clinical microbiology practices for retention of clinical isolates for future use were also determined. Surveys were sent to members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s (IDSA) Emerging Infections Network (EIN). The EIN is a sentinel network of ID physicians who care for adult and/or pediatric patients in North America and who are members of IDSA. The response rate was 763 (45%) of 1,680 potential respondents. Five hundred forty (81%) respondents reported interacting with the clinical microbiology laboratory. Eighty-six percent of respondents thought an onsite laboratory very important for timely diagnostic reporting and ongoing communication with the clinical microbiologist. Thirty-five percent practiced in institutions where the core microbiology laboratory has been moved offsite, and an additional 7% (n = 38) reported that movement of core laboratory functions offsite was being considered. The respondents reported that only 24% of laboratories banked all isolates, with the majority saving isolates for less than 30 days. Based on these results, the trend toward centralized core laboratories negatively impacts the practice of ID physicians, potentially delays effective implementation of prompt and targeted care for patients with serious infections, and similarly adversely impacts infection control epidemiologic investigations.

There are roughly 48,000 deaths caused by influenza annually and an estimated 200,000 people who have undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These are examples of acute and chronic illnesses that can be identified by employing a CLIA-waived test. Pharmacies across the country have been incorporating CLIA-waived point-of-care tests (POCT) into disease screening and management programs offered in the pharmacy. The rationale behind these programs is discussed. Additionally, a summary of clinical data for some of these programs in the infectious disease arena is provided. Finally, we discuss the future potential for CLIA-waived POCT-based programs in community pharmacies.

Genome-wide association studies have implicated thousands of noncoding variants across common human phenotypes. However, they cannot directly inform the cellular context in which disease-associated variants act. Here, we use open chromatin profiles from discrete mouse cell populations to address this challenge. We applied stratified linkage disequilibrium score regression and evaluated heritability enrichment in 64 genome-wide association studies, emphasizing schizophrenia. We provide evidence that mouse-derived human open chromatin profiles can serve as powerful proxies for difficult to obtain human cell populations, facilitating the illumination of common disease heritability enrichment across an array of human phenotypes. We demonstrate that signatures from discrete subpopulations of cortical excitatory and inhibitory neurons are significantly enriched for schizophrenia heritability with maximal enrichment in cortical layer V excitatory neurons. We also show that differences between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are concentrated in excitatory neurons in cortical layers II-III, IV, and V, as well as the dentate gyrus. Finally, we leverage these data to fine-map variants in 177 schizophrenia loci nominating variants in 104/177. We integrate these data with transcription factor binding site, chromatin interaction, and validated enhancer data, placing variants in the cellular context where they may modulate risk.

The solute carrier family 16 (SLC16) is comprised of 14 members of the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) family that play an essential role in the transport of important cell nutrients and for cellular metabolism and pH regulation. MCTs 1–4 have been extensively studied and are involved in the proton-dependent transport of L-lactate, pyruvate, short-chain fatty acids, and monocarboxylate drugs in a wide variety of tissues. MCTs 1 and 4 are overexpressed in a number of cancers, and current investigations have focused on transporter inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy in cancers. MCT1 has also been used in strategies aimed at enhancing drug absorption due to its high expression in the intestine. Other MCT isoforms are less well characterized, but ongoing studies indicate that MCT6 transports xenobiotics such as bumetanide, nateglinide, and probenecid, whereas MCT7 has been characterized as a transporter of ketone bodies. MCT8 and MCT10 transport thyroid hormones, and recently, MCT9 has been characterized as a carnitine efflux transporter and MCT12 as a creatine transporter. Expressed at the blood brain barrier, MCT8 mutations have been associated with an X-linked intellectual disability, known as Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome. Many MCT isoforms are associated with hormone, lipid, and glucose homeostasis, and recent research has focused on their potential roles in disease, with MCTs representing promising novel therapeutic targets. This review will provide a summary of the current literature focusing on the characterization, function, and regulation of the MCT family isoforms and on their roles in drug disposition and in health and disease.

Background

The increasing incidence of life-threatening Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in non-HIV immunocompromised patients is a global concern. Yet, no reports have examined the prognostic significance of pre-existing interstitial lung disease (ILD) in non-HIV PCP.

Technologies allowing genetic sequencing of the human microbiome are opening new realms to discovery. The host microbiota substantially impacts immune responses both in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) and in tumors affecting tissues beyond skin and mucosae. However, a mechanistic link between host microbiota and cancer or IMIDs has not been well established. Here, we propose T helper 17 (T_H17) lymphocytes as the connecting factor between host microbiota and rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritides, multiple sclerosis, breast or ovarian cancer, and multiple myeloma. We theorize that similar mechanisms favor the expansion of gut-borne T_H17 cells and their deployment at the site of inflammation in extraborder IMIDs and tumors, where T_H17 cells are driving forces. Thus, from a pathogenic standpoint, tumors may share mechanistic routes with IMIDs. A review of similarities and divergences in microbiota-T_H17 cell interactions in IMIDs and cancer sheds light on previously ignored pathways in either one of the two groups of pathologies and identifies novel therapeutic avenues.

Chitotriosidase (CHIT1) is a highly conserved and regulated chitinase secreted by activated macrophages; it is a member of the 18-glycosylase family (GH18). CHIT1 is the most prominent chitinase in humans, can cleave chitin and participates in the body's immune response and is associated with inflammation, infection, tissue damage and remodelling processes. Recently, CHIT1 has been reported to be involved in the molecular pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, bronchial asthma, COPD and pulmonary infections, shedding new light on the role of these proteins in lung pathophysiology. The potential roles of CHIT1 in lung diseases are reviewed in this article.

Physician-led thoracic ultrasound (TUS) has substantially changed how respiratory disorders, and in particular pleural diseases, are managed. The use of TUS as a point-of-care test enables the respiratory physician to quickly and accurately diagnose pleural pathology and ensure safe access to the pleural space during thoracentesis or chest drain insertion. Competence in performing TUS is now an obligatory part of respiratory speciality training programmes in different parts of the world. Pleural physicians with higher levels of competence routinely use TUS during the planning and execution of more sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, such as core needle pleural biopsies, image-guided drain insertion and medical thoracoscopy. Current research is gauging the potential of TUS in predicting the outcome of different pleural interventions and how it can aid in tailoring the optimum treatment according to different TUS-based parameters.

OBJECTIVE

There is a controversy over the association between obesity and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in people with or without type 2 diabetes; therefore, we examined the effect of BMI on the risk of ESRD according to glycemic status in the Korean population.

OBJECTIVE

Nonalbuminuric diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become the prevailing phenotype in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, it remains unclear whether its prognosis is poorer than that of other DKD phenotypes.

OBJECTIVE

Incident type 2 diabetes is common among patients with recent acute coronary syndrome and is associated with an adverse prognosis. Some data suggest that cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors reduce incident type 2 diabetes. We compared the effect of treatment with the CETP inhibitor dalcetrapib or placebo on incident diabetes in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to quantify the excess risk of autoimmune hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, Addison disease, celiac disease, and atrophic gastritis in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) compared with nondiabetic individuals in Finland.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence of and factors associated with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m² in people with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

Metformin is the first pharmacological option for treating type 2 diabetes. However, the use of this drug is not recommended in individuals with impaired kidney function because of the perceived risk of lactic acidosis. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of metformin in patients with type 2 diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

Although studies of mixed chimerism following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) may provide insights into the engraftment needed to correct the disease and into immunological reconstitution, an extensive multilineage analysis is lacking. We analyzed chimerism simultaneously in peripheral erythroid and granulomonocytic precursors/progenitors, highly purified B and T lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes and red blood cells (RBC). Thirty-four patients with mixed chimerism and ≥12 months of follow-up were included. A selective advantage of donor RBC and their progenitors/precursors led to full chimerism in mature RBC (despite partial engraftment of other lineages), and resulted in the clinical control of the disease. Six patients with donor chimerism <50% had hemolysis (reticulocytosis) and higher HbS than their donor. Four of them had donor chimerism <30%, including a patient with AA donor (hemoglobin >10 g/dL) and three with AS donors (hemoglobin <10 g/dL). However, only one vaso-occlusive crisis occurred with 68.7% HbS. Except in the patients with the lowest chimerism, the donor engraftment was lower for T cells than for the other lineages. In a context of mixed chimerism after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for SCD, myeloid (rather than T cell) engraftment was the key efficacy criterion. Results show that myeloid chimerism as low as 30% was sufficient to prevent a vaso-occlusive crisis in transplants from an AA donor but not constantly from an AS donor. However, the correction of hemolysis requires higher donor chimerism levels (i.e. ≥50%) in both AA and AS recipients. In the future, this group of patients may need a different therapeutic approach.

The kidney is a complex organ responsible for maintaining multiple aspects of homeostasis in the human body. The combination of distinct, yet interrelated, molecular functions across different cell types make the delineation of factors associated with loss or decline in kidney function challenging. Consequently, there has been a paucity of new diagnostic markers and treatment options becoming available to clinicians and patients in managing kidney diseases. A systems biology approach to understanding the kidney leverages recent advances in computational technology and methods to integrate diverse sets of data. It has the potential to unravel the interplay of multiple genes, proteins, and molecular mechanisms that drive key functions in kidney health and disease. The emergence of large, detailed, multilevel biologic and clinical data from national databases, cohort studies, and trials now provide the critical pieces needed for meaningful application of systems biology approaches in nephrology. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current state in the evolution of the field. Recent successes of systems biology to identify targeted therapies linked to mechanistic biomarkers in the kidney are described to emphasize the relevance to clinical care and the outlook for improving outcomes for patients with kidney diseases.

Background and objectives

Shared decision making in patients with glomerular disease remains challenging because outcomes important to patients remain largely unknown. We aimed to identify and prioritize outcomes important to patients and caregivers and to describe reasons for their choices.

Background and objectives

Walking while talking is a dual cognitive-motor task that predicts frailty, falls, and cognitive decline in the general elderly population. Adults with CKD have gait abnormalities during usual walking. It is unknown whether they have greater gait abnormalities and cognitive-motor interference during walking while talking.

Background and objectives

Tolvaptan is approved to slow kidney function decline in adults with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) at risk of rapid progression. Because in vitro studies indicated that the tolvaptan oxobutyric acid metabolite inhibits organic anion–transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B1 and OATP1B3, United States prescribing information advises avoiding concurrent use with OATP1B1/1B3 substrates, including hepatic hydroxymethyl glutaryl–CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). This post hoc analysis of the pivotal phase 3 tolvaptan trials (Tolvaptan Efficacy and Safety in Management of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease and Its Outcomes [TEMPO] 3:4 trial [NCT00428948] and Replicating Evidence of Preserved Renal Function: an Investigation of Tolvaptan Safety and Efficacy in ADPKD [REPRISE] trial [NCT02160145]) examined the safety of concurrent tolvaptan/statin use.

Background:

Incentive payments for chronic diseases in British Columbia were intended to support primary care physicians in providing more comprehensive care, but research shows that not all physicians bill incentives and not all eligible patients have them billed on their behalf. We investigated patient and physician characteristics associated with billing incentives for chronic diseases in BC.

Background:

In Canada, First Nations populations experience a higher incidence of diabetes and diabetes-related complications than other people. Given the paucity of information on use of preventive eye examinations and the need for interventional care for severe retinopathy among First Nations people, we carried out a population-based study to compare rates of eye examinations and interventional therapies to treat vision-threatening stages of diabetic retinopathy among First Nations people and other people with diabetes in Ontario.

Cardiovascular (CV) disease remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although clustering of traditional risk factors with CKD is well recognized, kidney-specific mechanisms are believed to drive the disproportionate burden of CV disease. One perturbation that is frequently observed at high rates in patients with CKD is vascular calcification, which may be a central mediator for an array of CV sequelae. This review summarizes the pathophysiological bases of intimal and medial vascular calcification in CKD, current strategies for diagnosis and management, and posits vascular calcification as a risk marker and therapeutic target.

Purpose:

The development of leptomeningeal melanoma metastases (LMM) is a rare and devastating complication of the late-stage disease, for which no effective treatments exist. Here, we performed a multi-omics analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with LMM to determine how the leptomeningeal microenvironment shapes the biology and therapeutic responses of melanoma cells.

Purpose:

In the phase III DUO trial, duvelisib, an oral dual PI3K-, inhibitor, demonstrated significantly improved efficacy versus ofatumumab [median (m) progression-free survival (PFS), 13.3 vs. 9.9 months (HR, 0.52; P < 0.0001); overall response rate [ORR], 74% vs. 45% (P < 0.0001)], with a manageable safety profile in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). We report results from patients with progressive disease (PD) after ofatumumab who crossed over to duvelisib in the DUO trial.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung condition, causing progressive decline in lung function leading to premature death. Acute exacerbations in COPD patients are predominantly associated with respiratory viruses. Ribavirin is a generic broad-spectrum antiviral agent that could be used for treatment of viral respiratory infections in COPD. Using the Particle Replication In Nonwetting Templates (PRINT) technology, which produces dry-powder particles of uniform shape and size, two new inhaled formulations of ribavirin (ribavirin-PRINT-CFI and ribavirin-PRINT-IP) were developed for efficient delivery to the lung and to minimize bystander exposure. Ribavirin-PRINT-CFI was well tolerated in healthy participants after single dosing and ribavirin-PRINT-IP was well tolerated in healthy and COPD participants after single and repeat dosing. Ribavirin-PRINT-CFI was replaced with ribavirin-PRINT-IP since the latter formulation was found to have improved physicochemical properties and it had a higher ratio of active drug to excipient per unit dose. Ribavirin concentrations were measured in lung epithelial lining fluid in both healthy and COPD participants and achieved target concentrations. Both formulations were rapidly absorbed with approximately dose proportional pharmacokinetics in plasma. Exposure to bystanders was negligible based on both the plasma and airborne ribavirin concentrations with the ribavirin-PRINT-IP formulation. Thus, ribavirin-PRINT-IP allowed for an efficient and convenient delivery of ribavirin to the lungs while minimizing systemic exposure. Further clinical investigations would be required to demonstrate ribavirin-PRINT-IP antiviral characteristics and impact on COPD viral-induced exacerbations. (The clinical trials discussed in this study have been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifiers NCT03243760 and NCT03235726.)

Understanding how coronary blood vessels form and regenerate during development and progression of cardiac diseases will shed light on the development of new treatment options targeting coronary artery diseases. Recent studies with the state-of-the-art technologies have identified novel origins of, as well as new, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of coronary vessels in the postnatal heart, including collateral artery formation, endocardial-to-endothelial differentiation and mesenchymal-to-endothelial transition. These new mechanisms of coronary vessel formation and regeneration open up new possibilities targeting neovascularization for promoting cardiac repair and regeneration. Here, we highlight some recent studies on cellular mechanisms of coronary vessel formation, and discuss the potential impact and significance of the findings on basic research and clinical application for treating ischemic heart disease.

Maintenance of the proteome, ensuring the proper locations, proper conformations, appropriate concentrations, etc., is essential to preserve the health of an organism in the face of environmental insults, infectious diseases, and the challenges associated with aging. Maintaining the proteome is even more difficult in the background of inherited mutations that render a given protein and others handled by the same proteostasis machinery misfolding prone and/or aggregation prone. Maintenance of the proteome or maintaining proteostasis requires the orchestration of protein synthesis, folding, trafficking, and degradation by way of highly conserved, interacting, and competitive proteostasis pathways. Each subcellular compartment has a unique proteostasis network compromising common and specialized proteostasis maintenance pathways. Stress-responsive signaling pathways detect the misfolding and/or aggregation of proteins in specific subcellular compartments using stress sensors and respond by generating an active transcription factor. Subsequent transcriptional programs up-regulate proteostasis network capacity (i.e., ability to fold and degrade proteins in that compartment). Stress-responsive signaling pathways can also be linked by way of signaling cascades to nontranscriptional means to reestablish proteostasis (e.g., by translational attenuation). Proteostasis is also strongly influenced by the inherent kinetics and thermodynamics of the folding, misfolding, and aggregation of individual proteins, and these sequence-based attributes in combination with proteostasis network capacity together influence proteostasis. In this review, we will focus on the growing body of evidence that proteostasis deficits leading to human pathology can be reversed by pharmacologic adaptation of proteostasis network capacity through stress-responsive signaling pathway activation. The power of this approach will be exemplified by focusing on the ATF6 arm of the unfolded protein response stress responsive-signaling pathway that regulates proteostasis network capacity of the secretory pathway.

This study was an analysis of a national sample of U.S. medical office visits from 2014 to 2016, a period when evidence of effectiveness was emerging for a variety of beneficial type 2 diabetes agents with regard to potential reduction in diabetes comorbidities. Ideal therapy was defined as an American Diabetes Association–identified beneficial agent plus metformin. The associations between atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or obesity and use of these agents were explored.

While smoking is inextricably linked to oral/head and neck cancer (HNSCC), only a small fraction of smokers develop HNSCC. Thus, we have sought to identify other factors, which may influence the development of HNSCC in smokers including microbiology. To determine microbial associations with HNSCC among tobacco users, we characterized oral microbiome composition in smokers with and without HNSCC. 16S rRNA MiSeq sequencing was used to examine the oral mucosa microbiome of 27 smokers with (cases) and 24 without HNSCC (controls). In addition, we correlated previously reported levels of DNA damage with the microbiome data. Smokers with HNSCC showed lower microbiome richness compared with controls (q = 0.012). Beta-diversity analyses, assessed as UniFrac (weighted and unweighted) and Bray–Curtis distances, showed significant differences in oral mucosal microbiome signatures between cases and controls (r² = 0.03; P = 0.03) and higher interindividual microbiome heterogeneity in the former (q ≤ 0.01). Higher relative abundance of Stenotrophomonas and Comamonadaceae and predicted bacterial pathways mainly involved in xenobiotic and amine degradation were found in cases compared with controls. The latter, in contrast, exhibited higher abundance of common oral commensals and predicted sugar degradation pathways. Finally, levels of DNA damage in the oral cavity were correlated with the microbiome profiles above. Oral microbiome traits differ in smokers with and without HNSCC, potentially informing the risk of eventual HNSCC and shedding light into possible microbially mediated mechanisms of disease. These findings present data that may be useful in screening efforts for HNSCC among smokers who are unable to quit.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Endolymphatic hydrops in patients with Menière disease relies on delayed postcontrast 3D-FLAIR sequences. The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of perilymphatic enhancement and the detection rate of endolymphatic hydrops using constant and variable flip angles sequences.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

The increased severity of white matter disease is associated with worse outcomes and an increased rate of intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with ischemic stroke undergoing thrombolytic treatment. However, whether white matter disease is associated with outcomes in patients undergoing endovascular treatment remains unclear.

SUMMARY:

The remarkable temperature sensitivity of the brain is widely recognized and has been studied for its role in the potentiation of ischemic and other neurologic injuries. Pyrexia frequently complicates large-vessel acute ischemic stroke and develops commonly in critically ill neurologic patients; the profound sensitivity of the brain even to minor intraischemic temperature changes, together with the discovery of brain-to-systemic as well as intracerebral temperature gradients, has thus compelled the exploration of cerebral thermoregulation and uncovered its immutable dependence on cerebral blood flow. A lack of pragmatic and noninvasive tools for spatially and temporally resolved brain thermometry has historically restricted empiric study of cerebral temperature homeostasis; however, MR thermometry (MRT) leveraging temperature-sensitive nuclear magnetic resonance phenomena is well-suited to bridging this long-standing gap. This review aims to introduce the reader to the following: 1) fundamental aspects of cerebral thermoregulation, 2) the physical basis of noninvasive MRT, and 3) the physiologic interdependence of cerebral temperature, perfusion, metabolism, and viability.